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Pennsylvania Fleet Indicted For Logbook Violations

A 17-truck Pennsylvania fleet with the worst safety record in the state has been indicted for encouraging its drivers to exceed federal hours-of-service limits and keep false logbooks.

Dave Kistler & Grandson Inc. of Kempton, PA, was ranked as having the worst safety record among the state’s 23,000 federally regulated carriers in 1997 and 1998, according to published reports. The company was fined $25,000 and closed for several days in 1997 for failure to correct safety violations.Along with the company, co-owner Dave DeLong; his mother and co-owner, Fay DeLong; and dispatcher William Rooney were indicted for conspiracy to defraud and making false statements to the U.S. Department of Transportation.Since 1996, the defendants allegedly conspired to let drivers drive more than 18 hours a day. Drivers kept two sets of logbooks to cover up the scheme.Although the company is still operating, assistant U.S. attorney Seth Webster says his office is trying to shut it down immediately. “The reason we brought this indictment is to protect the innocent public … from being injured or killed by tired and fatigued truck drivers,” he told the Philadelphia Inquirer.